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“Obviously,” she scoffs. “All that said, while I want you to be happy, and if she’s what gets you there, that’s great, but,” she waits until I look at her, “make her work for it. Make her sweat for it.”
I smirk at her, a plan already forming in my mind. Is it petty to make her sweat a bit? Probably. The thing is I’ve never loved anyone like I love her and watching her so casually throw that love away was painful. She’s not going to get away with it, and she’s not going to get away from me.
* * *
“Griff?” Lilith calls as she lets herself into my apartment.
She’s standing in the living room with the babies as I come down the stairs. She looks equal amounts pissed and worried when I get down to her. Her hair is piled up on top of her head in a messy bun, and her eyes have circles under them.
“If you ever,” she stalks toward me, “leave upset and then disappear for days with no contact again, I will break every bone in your body. We have been worried sick.”
“We who?” I ask, knowing she doesn’t mean Con.
“All of us. Levi. Ivy. Connor.”
“Connor wasn’t worried.”
“He might not have said the words, but I know my husband, and he was concerned.”
I scoff and start to turn toward the kitchen when she catches me by surprise, launching herself at me with a sob. I wrap my arms around her and run my hands up and down her back as she cries. It’s very out of character for her to cry like this, I’ve only seen it happen a handful of times.
“Seriously, Griff. If Levi hadn’t called your sister and told me you were okay, I was about to start a search party. Don’t do that again, okay?” She shudders against me as one more sob escapes. “I love you, you fucking asshole. I can’t deal with Levi and Con on my own.” She puts her middle finger, where her ring from Connor, Levi, and me sits, in my face. “You are my family.”
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t come back here Sunday after I dropped Ivy off. Claire still has a bunch of stuff here, all over my room and bathroom. I wasn’t ready, so I went to my parents’ house. Then my phone died, and I just decided to disconnect for a while.”
“Ahhh,” she swipes the tears away. “Makes sense, but never do that again.” Elle starts crying, so Lilith takes her out of her car seat carrier. She sits down on the couch and unsnaps her tank top. It happened so fast I couldn’t look away in time, so I stand there awkwardly frozen in shock. “Stop. You’ve walked in on Con railing me countless times, but I pop a boob out to feed my child, and you act like a moron. Sit down and talk to me.”
“Have you talked to Claire? What did she say after I left?”
“She explained about the MS and how she went to you for help. How it started as you just being a shoulder for her to lean on and then developed into more.”
So, she didn’t tell them the full story.
“It started the night you and Con got engaged.”
“What?” Her eyes widen.
“Yeah, we stayed up after everyone went to sleep just lying on the top deck and chatting. That night we kissed but were interrupted, so nothing else ever happened. Then we slept together the night of your wedding.”
“Oh, she definitely left that part out of the story.” She switches Elle to the other side.
“Yeah. I can’t say that I blame her. Telling you guys about the MS was probably really challenging for her. I’ve been telling her for weeks to say something, but she didn’t want to until the ballet exhibition was over.”
“She mentioned that. I feel awful for her. It makes sense why she’s been so standoffish lately, too.”
“Yeah, she got the infertility news the week you had the girls.” I know as soon as I look up at her from where I had been watching Nora sleep that I made a big mistake.
“What infertility news?” Lilith’s mouth is hanging open in shock.
“Fuck.” I take my glasses off and pinch the bridge of my nose, irritated with myself for saying anything. “Apparently it’s somewhat common in women diagnosed early with MS to have fertility struggles. Her doctor basically said it wasn’t impossible but highly unlikely for her to get pregnant.”
“Damn. That’s one thing she was so excited about early on in my pregnancy. Talking about how the twins could babysit for her kids eventually. I wondered why she was so upset the day I had the girls; it all makes sense now.”
“Yeah, she found out the day before. The news was fresh.”
“Well, that sucks, but I’m still pissed at her. I know she broke your heart, I watched you crumble. People probably look at the three of you and pick you for the weakest of the trio. They’re wrong though. You’re the glue, the strong one who holds us together.”
“I might have been before Sunday, but now I’m not. How is Con?”
